


Insight

by supersonicsidekick



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Batman: Arkham (Video Games), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Gen, POV Outsider
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-27
Updated: 2017-08-22
Packaged: 2018-12-07 15:05:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 7,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11626074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supersonicsidekick/pseuds/supersonicsidekick
Summary: A series of Oneshots set in the Batman: Arkham Universe about the Arkham Knight and his Militia from the Militia's perspective.





	1. Scarred For Life

Most days, Steven Archer enjoyed his coveted position as the Arkham Knight's right-hand man. Today was not one of those days.

Asher glanced at the article once again, hoping that by some miracle it had changed. It hadn't. If anything, it seemed worse the second time around.

Groaning, Archer shut the laptop with more force than strictly necessary. "The Knight's not gonna like this."

"He also won't like you destroying all his equipment." Cora Chu replied, snatching the laptop back. " Especially not one housing the Cobra Drone coding I've been working on for _months_.

Archer couldn't help rolling his eyes. " You say that like you don't have a billion backups."

"Excuse you. I only have a _million_ backups, thank you very much."

Archer almost gave into the urge to stay and chat with Chu instead of breaking the news to the Knight. Almost. But he was a professional, and professionals did their jobs.

"You don't happen to have any idea where the Knight is, do you?"

"Last I heard, he was in his quarters."

"Great," Archer muttered in a way that implied it was anything but.

It was no secret that the Knight valued his privacy; the mask and voice modulator testified to that. Barging into his personal quarters unannounced was a big no-no.

But the Knight also instructed that any information pertaining to something that might hinder Operation Savior be reported to him immediately. And this 'Arkham City' nonsense going on in Gotham definitely qualified.

Weighing his options carefully, Archer decided on the latter. The Knight would put the mission first, so he would too.

Giving Chu a quick goodbye, Archer made his way to the top floor or the complex, where the Knight's quarters were located. Arriving in what felt like no time at all, Archer hesitated briefly. Even know that his information was of the utmost importance, he still felt like he was somehow in the wrong.

Taking a deep breath, Archer knocked on the door. To his surprise, the door open as soon as he touched it.

Looking around the room, he saw no sign of the Knight. Maybe Chu was wrong? Asher was about to leave and look elsewhere just as the door to a connecting room opened. And what he see's then makes his blood run cold.

Standing in the doorway is a teenager, eighteen at the most, in nothing more than a towel. His eyes are wide, drawing attention to the bags underneath them. A multitude of scars of various shapes and sizes litter his body, the worse of all a J shaped scar on his left cheek. _A brand_ , Archer realizes, feeling sick.

It takes him a moment register that this kid is the Knight. And when he does, his heart breaks.

The Knight recovers first, steeling his face into an expression that resembles a thousand yard start far too much for Archer's liking. "Lieutenant? I assume this is important?"

And that voice. So young. So full of emotion without the modulator.

It takes Archer a moment to recover. "Sir. Something's happening in Gotham that you need to look at."

The Knight nods. "I'll meet you in the Communications Room in five."

Archer, thankful for the dismissal, can't get out of the room fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, originally, I decided against explaining my reasoning for Jason's actions, and/or how something in the story affected Jason, because I was going to cover it in my Jason Todd centric story I'm currently working on. But since I'm still planning it and have no idea when I'll be putting out the first chapter, I figured I'd go ahead and give you little tidbits, as well as tell you exactly when the story is set-especially since they don't follow chronological order-according to my timeline, without giving away too much at my up coming story. So, this story is set right when Arkham City first opens, which I put to be sometime in November 2014. Jason is still suffering from what the Joker did, and the events in this oneshot do not help at all. Jason thought that he locked the door, the realization that he didn't, coupled with the fact that someone saw him so vulnerable, let him absolutely wrecked. He could sleep for three days, and even when he was finally able to, it wasn't a peaceful one.


	2. Cafeteria Conversations

"For the last time, Batman isn't a vampire." After weeks of listening to his friend insist time and time again that Batman was a bloodsucking creature of the night, Axel Rodriguez had finally had enough.

But Theodore Epps would not be so easily dissuaded. "You can't seriously believe that? I mean, come on. All the evidence is there. He only comes out at night, he suddenly appears from the shadows, and he literally has the word bat in his name."

Rodriguez scoffed. "Yeah. And what's Robin? A werewolf?"

"You doubt now, but when Batman drinks your blood, you'll be sorry."

Rodriguez only just managed to resist rolling his eyes. "Whatever you say. Now, can you hurry up, dinner started five minutes ago, and I'm starving."

Epps gave Rodriguez a puzzled look. "Didn't you eat, what, an hour or so ago?"

"Shut up. You know I have a metabolism to rival the Flash."

The two fell into a companionable silence as they made their way to the cafeteria. Before they even reached their destination, Rodriguez could smell the no doubt delicious selection that had been prepared for him and his fellow soldiers.

Unlike when he very briefly served in the army–dishonorably discharged after two months for refusing to shoot innocent people, innocent children, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time–the food served here could actually be considered food. It was part of the reason why he was so loyal to the Knight; he treated them how they deserved to be treated, like human beings with human needs. In addition to twenty-four seven access to some of the best food he'd ever tasted, he, as well as every other member of the Militia, had their own living quarters complete with an actual, comfortable bed. And the pay? Rodriguez could write poetry about how good the pay was. Especially considering they hadn't done anything but training yet.

The Knight didn't just claim to care about his soldiers, like other commanders Rodriguez had met, he proved he did with his actions.

Reaching the cafeteria, Rodriguez quickly assembled his meal and made his way over to a table housing members of the militia he had grown close to. A few seconds later, Epps joined them as well.

"Finally!" Exclaimed Cora Chu. "I thought you guys had gotten lost again."

"Ha ha. Very funny. That only happened once, and over two months ago, when we were new to the compound. Let it go." Rodriguez complained.

"Yeah Cora," Epps chimed in. "How would you like it if I always brought up that time you ran into a wall, because you saw 'the most beautiful woman you had ever layer eyes on.'"

"I wouldn't care, considering that I'm dating said beautiful woman now." Chu countered.

"Aw, babe, you really said that?" Paige Steele asked, blushing faintly.

"You bet I did," Chu replied, flashing Steele her signature smile.

"Aww. You two are so sweet you're gonna give me a cavity." Steven Archer teased.

"Then it's a good thing you dating a dentist," Chu remarked.

"A Veterinary Dentist. He only works on animals."

"That's a thing?" Asher Davenport questioned.

"No." Archer deadpanned. "Of course not."

"You don't gotta be a dick about it," Davenport mumbled.

Just then, a new arrival plopped in between Rodriguez and Epps.

"Sorry I'm late." Riley Lahey stated. "The new martial arts trainer is brutal."

"New martial arts trainer? I didn't know we even had martial arts training period." Rodriguez was very confused.

"That's because it's new. Well, kind of new. The Knight always wanted an elite team of martial artists, it's what I signed on to be, but he refused to settle for any less than the best teacher. About a week ago the Knight was finally able to contact Lady Shiva and convince her to come train us. She just got here this afternoon, but she was definitely worth the wait. She's a total badass. Apparently, she's one of the most skilled members of the League of Assassins, whoever they are. That's what the Knight said." Lahey explained.

"So we all get to train under her?" Epps looked excited.

"No. She only agreed to train fifty of us, specifically to be, as I said before, an elite team." At Lahey's words, Epps face fell.  
"But, you still get to train with the Knight."

Epps perked up at that. "Yeah. The Knights the best."

"No kidding. I once saw him take down a room full of armed men in under a minute." Davenport added.

Rodriguez hummed in appreciation. "Of course he did, he's the Knight. I've seen him fight at least twenty men at the same time, and win."

"That's nothing," Chu added. "I heard he kick the Joker in the balls once."

"I don't see how that all that impressive," Lahey stated.

"You've obviously never been to Gotham."

"Touché."

"I heard he stole the tires off the Batmobile," a mechanical voice chimed in.

Rodriguez was surprised he didn't get whiplash with how fast he whipped his head around. Standing directly behind him was the Arkham Knight.

"Lieutenant Rodriguez, Lieutenant Archer, I need you to gather all the other Lieutenants in the Briefing Room in half an hour. Consultant Chu, Consultant Steele, If you're finished, I would like to see the progress you've made with the Cobra Drones."

Chu and Steele quickly stood up and followed the Arkham Knight off into the compound.

Rodriguez rushed through his dinner before going to help Archer gather the other Lieutenants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This oneshot is set a few months after the Arkham Knight established the Compound in Venezuela, sometime in early 2014. While not insight in Jason's actions, I think it's important to note that the reason Lady Shiva agreed to train martial artist for him, is because she suspects that Jason might be her son. (In, Rebirth, I think, Batman suspects that Lady Shiva may be Jason's biological mother.) In my Arkhamverse continuity, she is, though Jason doesn't know it. She brings her daughter Cassandra Cain along with her, and Cass and Jason quickly become friends. Well, as close to friends as Jason can have in his current head space.


	3. Gotham Is Another Word For Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Joker's Kindergarten Massacre from Jason's Gotham City story is briefly mentioned, as well as other forms of crime. Also, if you have an idea pertaining to this concept that you would like to see written, but can't or don't have the time to do it yourself, just send me an ask on my tumblr, supersonicsidekick, and I'll most likely write it and post it here, giving proper credit for the idea, of course.

Racing through the compound, Steven Archer checked his watch. Only two minutes left till the briefing started. If he was lucky, he might just be able to make it in time.    
  
Turning a corner and almost colliding with a wall, Archer pushed himself harder. There was no way he was going to be late to his first official militia briefing.    
  
Finally, he reached the corridor that led to his destination. Stopping at the correct door, he paused a moment to collect himself. Just because he spent the last five minutes running around the compound didn't mean he had to look like it. Checking his watch again, Archer let out a sigh of relief. He'd made it on time; with fifteen seconds to spare even.    
  
Quietly, he slipped into the Briefing Room, taking a seat in the back.    
  
As soon as he sat down, he surveyed his soundings, a habit he had picked in his career as a mercenary. In the front of the room, mounted to the wall, was a smart board, similar to the one Archer had seen in his little sister's classroom. A few feet away was a table that housed a laptop that seemed to be connected to the smart board. Sitting on the table, right next to the laptop, was the Arkham Knight, clad in his signature armor.   
  
His mechanical voice pierced through the silence, calling the meeting to order.    
  
"Gotham, as I'm sure you all know, is a dangerous place. I made sure to bring this to your attention to this when I recruited you for  _ Operation Savior _ . But I don't think some of you grasp just how dangerous Gotham can be."    
  
He held up his hand to silence any protest, not that anyone in the room would even dream of disrespecting the Knight. At least, Archer wouldn't. The Knight had more than earned his respect.   
  
"Before you all get offended, I don't mean it as an insult. It's hard for anyone that's not from Gotham to really understand what it's like. And I want you to understand what you signed up for before it's too late for you to back out. Which is why I made this."    
  
The Knight did something to his computer, Archer wasn't sure what from this distance, and the smart board flashed to life. On the screen, in large print, was the words, ' _ Everything That Can And Will Kill You In Gotham _ '.    
  
"Before we began, I just want you to know, that if after this presentation, you realize that you want to back out, I completely understand. Just tell me, and I'll make arrangements and pay for you to go home. Also, if at any point you have a question, feel free to ask."   
  
The Knight paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. Some of the crowd nodded respectfully, some scoffed. Either way, it was clear to Archer that nobody thought they would be taking the Knight up on his offer.   
  
"Now, onto business." The Knight changed the slide. Now displayed on the smart board in the same format as the writing was: ' _ GENERAL FACTS _ '. "With the highest rate of clown murder per capita than any other city in the world, and the highest rate of murder than any other city in the Western Hemisphere, Gotham City is pretty much the Murder Capital of the Americas, possibly the world."    
  
Archer was mildly surprised when a few hands shot up. Considering that the room was filled with soldiers, mercenaries, and hired guns, he had assumed that any questions would be blurted out as soon as they came to mind. Instead, hardened soldiers raised their hands like they were in grade school waiting to be called on by the teacher. Archer couldn't be more happy to be wrong.   
  
The Knight pointed to someone in the first row and motioned for them to speak.    
  
"Sir, how is 'clown murder' any different than murder?"   
  
"I didn't' use to think it was, till I saw what the Joker did at a kindergarten, of all places. He massacred kids that couldn't have been older than five, chopped off their limbs and sewed them back onto the wrong bodies." The Knight's voice was low, and even with the modifier, Archer could tell it was pained. "It's hard to explain, but trust me when I say, there's a difference."   
  
The room fell into a tense silence that no one, least of all Archer, dared to break.    
  
After what felt like forever, but in reality was most likely a minute, at the most, the Knight continued, like nothing had happened. The screen changed, now saying: ' _ DANGEROUS AREAS _ '.   
  
"As I'm sure you can assume by the name, Crime Ally isn't a nice place. Located in Park Row, Crime Alley is without a doubt the most dangerous place in Gotham. In just the last week, there's been fifty robberies, thirty stabbings, seven shootings, five stranglings, three maimings, and one instance of cannibalism."   
  
Considering that a kindergartener massacre had been previously mentioned, Archer probably shouldn't have been a shocked he was. He felt a little better when he looked around the room and saw that he wasn't the only one. In fact, only the soldier next to him, who seemed to be raising their hand, looked to be immune.   
  
"Yes," the Knight acknowledged.   
  
"Sir, does anything good ever happen in Crime Alley."    
  
"Batman got his tires jacked there once. That's about it. And even that's debatable."   
  
Archer had to hold back a laugh. Batman, getting his tires stolen. Man, he almost wished he had been there to see the look on his face. Almost, because being there would mean that he would've most likely been living in Gotham, and he wouldn't wish that in a million years.   
  
"The Bowery, while not as notorious as Crime Alley, is still extremely dangerous. The epicenter for gunrunning, the Bowery is an essential and dangerous part of the Gotham Underworld, controlled by Oswald Cobblepot, also known as the Penguin. On the same note, the Industry District is also an essential part of the Gotham Underworld, with Roman Sionis, also known as Black Mask, controlling the drug trade and human trafficking."    
  
While he couldn't be sure, Archer could swear he heard the Knights voice change, just for a second, when he mentioned the drugs and human trafficking. It was hard to tell with the modulator, but he almost sounded angry, the same way he did whenever Batman was mentioned.   
  
Gripping the table he was sitting on tightly, the Arkham Knight continued. "Last, but certainly not least, is Arkham Island, home to Arkham Asylum. With some of the most dangerous and unstable patients in the world, Arkham Asylum is Hell on Earth."   
  
The Knight took a deep breath, at least that's what Archer thought that noise was, and gripped the table harder.    
  
"Speaking of Arkham Inmates, we'll be covering some of the most dangerous once next, since Arkham Asylum practically has a revolving door." Archer could definitely hear anger in the Knight's voice now, no question about it. He wouldn't be surprised if the table broke with how hard he was grasping it.    
  
The screen changed again, now showing a picture of a shirtless, large, muscular man with biceps larger the Archer's head. On his back was some kind of contraption, tubes coming out of it that attached to his arms. Above the picture was the word ' _ Bane _ '.   
  
Suddenly, the Knight's grip relaxed, and his voice went back to normal; at least as normal as it could be with the modifier. "Supposedly raised in a prison in Santa Prisca, Bane is a force to be reckoned with. With the drug Venom greatly increasing his strength, a brilliant mind, and an army of loyal followers at his back, Bane is not a man you ever want to face, endless you want a broken back. Luckily for you, he hasn't been seen in Gotham since the incident at the Asylum."   
  
Another screen change, this time showing a giant monster that appeared to be made out of... clay? The name of the picture said ' _ CLAYFACE _ ', so that had to be it.    
  
"Basil Karlo, also know as Clayface, also hasn't been seen since the Asylum Incident; but unlike Bane, this doesn't necessarily mean that he isn't in Gotham. Since his entire body is made out of clay, he can copy anyone's looks. Add that with the fact that he's a hell of an actor, and it's almost impossible to know who he's impersonating."   
  
Sometimes Archer missed living in Central City. They never had people made out of clay in Central City. But he had given up that life, had become a mercenary, and there was no going back now. Not that he wanted to. He was enjoying his new life, and his new boss, thank you very much.   
  
Again, the screen changed, now showing a picture of a pale young woman with pigtails.   
  
"Harley Quinn, formerly Doctor Harleen Quinzel. Used to be a psychiatrist at Arkham, till the Joker got to her. While she's a victim of the Joker's with the wise case of Stockholm Syndrome I've ever seen, she's still extremely dangerous."   
  
Another screen change, another picture of a clown. With a stark white face, green hair, and a purple pinstripe suit, there was no mistaking the Joker, even without his name printed at the top of the screen.   
  
"The Joker. Evil incarnated. Loves murdering toddlers, torturing teenagers, and kicking puppies." The Knight's voice was angry again. Archer couldn't blame him; who wouldn't be angry at the Joker.   
  
Next, the screen showed a human crocodile. Archer would like to say he was surprised, but after everything else he had learned about Gotham today, this ' _ KILLER CROC _ ' wasn't all that shocking. Even if he possibly was a cannibal. That's Gotham for ya.    
  
On and on the briefing went, showing slide after slide of Gotham Villains. A narcissist obsessed with green question marks, a plant lady that hated humanity, a man who dresses up like a scarecrow and made people's worst fears come to life, etc.    
  
By the time the briefing was over, Archer had no idea why people when within a hundred feet of Gotham, much less lived there. The only thing he was sure of was that Gotham needs to be saved. Batman had failed, but the Knight wouldn't. The Knight would make Gotham a better place, a place that didn't inspire a two-hour powerpoint about everything and everyone there that wanted to kill you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, so I added notes at the end of the other chapters, which if you haven't already seen, I would recommend checking out. Now, on to business. The one shot takes place a couple of day's after the Knight first gathered his Militia in the compound in Venezuela, around late 2013, early 2014. While this isn't my best work, I figured I'd publish it anyway, since it showcased some import thing I wanted to show about Jason. How the kindergarten massacre affected him. His hatred of drugs, because of his mom's death. His hatred of human trafficking, because he's a decent human being. And his hatred of Arkham Asylum and the Joker, which exist for obvious reasons. Though he can't quite hate the Joker as much as he should, instead focusing most of his rage on Batman, just like the Joker made sure he would. Next up: The Knight and Steven Archer travel to Gotham to see if this so called Arkahm City will interfere with Operation Savior.


	4. Zero Tolerance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for violence, attempted rape, and murder. Although, is it really murder if the person deserves it. Also, the title comes from a post on Tumblr I saw a couple years back that said that Jason had a Zero Tolerance Rape Policy.

Upon seeing his commander’s appearance, Steven Archer froze, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. Objectively, Archer had known that the Knight couldn't wear his mask or armor. It was a recon mission after all, and the Knights normal getup was anything but inconspicuous. Regardless, seeing him maskless, in only a hoodie and jeans, felt wrong, especially after the disaster that had happened earlier that day.* At least that horrible  _ J _ brand had been covered up, safely kept from view underneath a large bandage; Archer didn't think he would be able to look the Knight in the eyes if it hadn't been.

 

Shaking himself out of his temporary shock, Archer gripped his duffle bag tighter and continued to make his way towards their transportation. The plane, small and unassuming, was perfect for their trip. In no time, they would be in Gotham, find out whether or not this  _ Arkham City _ posed a threat to their operations. 

 

Archer wasn't exactly sure how to feel about that. On one hand, he was honored to be picked by the Knight for such an important mission. On the other, he had heard horror stories about Arkham Asylum. If Arkham City was even remotely like it, he didn't want to be within a hundred feet of the place. What he felt didn't matter though. He was loyal to the Knight and would do anything he asked, including going to the infamous Gotham City. 

 

As he reached the aircraft and sat his duffel in the cargo hold of the plane, he felt something hit his back. Turning around, he saw an outfit similar to the Knight’s laying at his feet. 

 

“We're infiltrating a prison. You need to look the part. And right now, what you're wearing screams undercover cop.”

 

Archer looked down and realized that the Knight had a point. He might have gone a little overboard when he picked out his clothes. He quickly changed and hopped in the seat farthest from the controls, hoping he Knight wouldn't expect him to know how to fly. 

 

Arched breathed a sigh of relief when the Knight to the pilot’s seat. And, without comment or fanfare, they took off.

 

* * *

 

 

Around five hours later-at approximately three in the morning-they landed in an abandoned parking lot in Coventry, to minimize the risk of being of being caught. Now, looking at the size of Pioneer Bridge, Archer wished they had just landed in Arkham City. But they hadn't, since that would have been an extremely stupid thing to do, so they would have to walk the length of the exceedingly long bridge. 

 

At least, that’s what Archer thought. But when the reached the edge of the bridge, the Knight made no move to cross it. Instead, he motioned for Archer to follow him as he clung to a pillar and descended downward, underneath the bridge.

 

Archer groaned. He may be a mercenary, but he wasn't Deathstroke. But the Knight was counting on him to follow, so he took a deep breath, looked to make sure no one was watching, and copied the Knight’s movement as best as he could. He caught up with the Knight at the base of the bridge and together they made their way across, clinging to the underside of the bridge like they were Black Spider**. Or more accurately, the Knight did, while Archer struggled not to fall to his death. 

 

By the time they made it to the other side of the bridge, Archer felt like his arms were about to fall off. Luckily for him, there was a small, sturdy platform hanging from the bridge that he could use to catch his breath. The Knight motioned for Archer to stay put, before beginning to climb up the bridge. Archer complied. There was nothing he could do now but rest till the Knight came back.

 

It was all part of the Knight's  _ Breaching Arkham City _ plan. When the opportunity presented itself, either during shift changes or perimeter patrols, the Knight would steal an access card from a TYGER Guard without being seen. He would come back, with said access card, they would find a door, and they would enter. Simple as that. At least, Archer hoped it would be that simple.

 

* * *

 

 

The Knight returned a little less than an hour later, key card in hand. 

 

“Follow me. There’s a door in an alcove a little ways up. If we use this,” the Knight pulled a grapnel gun out of a utility belt that had been previously hidden under his hoodie, “we should be able to make it from about halfway up this pillar.” The Knight taped the pillar he was clinging to.

 

Archer couldn't help smiling. The Knight always came prepared.

 

Archer briefly stretched his muscles before going the Knight on the pillar. He climbed carefully, imitating the Knight’s every move. It was a hard climb, with Archer almost falling to his death too many times to count, but finally, after what felt like forever, the Knight stopped.

 

“Hold on to me,” the Knight said, once again pulling out the grapnel gun.

 

Archer was hesitant at first, worried that the extra weight would unbalance the Knight and cause them both to fall. After a moment, he complied, and they were quickly pulled up to the alcove. 

 

A card swipe later, and they were inside. They walked quickly and silently, sticking to the shadows till they found the control room. The guards inside were swiftly dispatched of, using a knock-out gas grenade. 

 

The Knight walked over to the security console and did some rapid fire typing. After a moment, he pulled a flash drive out of his belt and plugged it into the mainframe. More rapid fire typing followed. Finally, the Knight, slowed, before stopping altogether. 

 

“And, that’s it.” He turned to Archer, a faint smile on his face as he spoke. “I hacked their network. We can monitor all their activity and communications from Venezuela, without them knowing. Now let's get out of here.”

 

As he turned to leave, something caught Archer’s eye, on one of the cameras. In a room the camera lanes as  _ Orientation Room 7 _ , a guard had cornered one of the inmates. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open like she was screaming. Even without the audio, Archer knew what was about to happen to her. The guard started reaching for her clothes, and recon mission or not, Archer couldn't just let that happen.

 

He turned to find the Knight and saw that he was gone. He looked back at the camera just in time to see the Knight enter the room, knife in hand. 

 

Both the guard and inmate startled. The guard pushed away from the prisoner and tried to make a run for the door. The Knight apprehended him and stabbed him in the groin. Archer appreciated the irony. The Knight gave him a few more well deserved stabs in the crotch area, before slitting his throat.

 

The inmate, who had been cowering in the corner, fixed her clothes and slowly stood up. Walk over to the Knight, she muttered a ‘thank you’ before kicking her attacker's corpse. 

 

The Knight picked up the body and left the room, the woman shakily following him. A few minutes later, they returned to the control room. 

 

The Knight nodded at Archer. “Come on, let’s get rid of this and head back. We’ve got what we need.”

 

“What about her?”

 

“She’s coming too.”

 

* * *

 

 

The flight home was cramped, but it gave Archer plenty of time to get to know the Militia’s newest recruit: Ciara Reid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The events of Scarred For Life (Chapter one of this fic)   
> **Black Spider is an assassin in the DC universe. In the Red Hood DLC, Black mask thugs mention that they heard that Red Hood took him out.  
> So considering Jason’s canon intense hatred of rapists I couldn't not write a fic about a rapist getting brutally murder by Jason. Cause who doesn't want to read about a rapist getting what's coming to them. So, I wrote this, which takes place right around when Arkham City first opened, around November 2014. Next up: Training Exercises.


	5. Heads Will Roll

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know that I said that ‘Training Exercises’ were coming up next, and I'm working on it. In the meantime, this idea came to me when I watched “Under The Red Hood” and I couldn't let it go. So enjoy. Also, warnings for mentions of violence and ‘a creative use of a duffel bag’. Nothing worse than what’s in the games, comics, or movies.

While not exactly keen on being in the same room as the majority of Gotham’s most notorious villains, Ciara Reid was excited to be back in Gotham. She may not have had the best experiences here-it was _Gotham_ after all-but it was still her home. And nothing could change that, not even what had happened at Arkham City.*

 

_Ugh, Arkham City_. Even just thinking those words made her mad. She shouldn't even have been there. Pickpocketing some rich assholes so she could survive another day was not the same as massacring a kindergarten or sicking man eating plants on the city. But Gotham’s justice system was as flawed as they come, and she was sent to that Hellhole. She’d been there less than an hour before the unthinkable had almost happened. If it hadn't have been for her literal Knight in shining armor that guard would have…

 

Sometimes she wished she had killed that bastard herself. Most of the time though, she was glad that the Knight was the one to do it. Regardless of how much he had deserved it, she didn't know if she could live with herself if his blood was on her hands.

 

But Arkham City didn't matter anymore. She was part of the Arkham Knight’s militia now. She had been personally trained by the Knight and could take down multiple enemies blindfolded. No one was ever going to touch her with her permission again. No one.

 

Shaking her head in an attempt to ward off the memory, she addressed her companions:  Lieutenant Steven Archer and the Arkham Knight himself. “Why are we still on the roof? All of our ‘esteemed guests’ have arrived. Shouldn't we head inside now?”

 

“We definitely should.” The Knight replied, but instead of dropping off the roof and heading to the door like Reid was expecting, he walked onto the glass ceiling.

 

“Sir?” She questioned, right as the Knight leapt into the air, smashing down hard on the glass, landing on the table the group of villains-Penguin, Riddler, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Firefly, Two-Face, Hush, and Scarecrow-were seated around.

 

Archer whistled appreciatively, the duffle bag the Knight had charged him with hanging loosely at his side. “He sure does know how to make an entrance.”

 

“Yeah,” Reid breathed, too awed to say anything else. She’d seen a lot of things growing up in the Bowery, but she'd never seen anything like that.

 

Reid and Archer also entered Scarecrow's Safehouse, though they opted to use the door, taking their places next to the Knight, who had moved off the table and was leaning on the wall behind smirking Scarecrow. At least Reid thought it was a smirk. It was hard to tell, on what was left of his face after the Killer Croc incident.

 

“And just who is this?” Cobblepot was the first to break the silence that had falling over the room at the Knight’s sudden appearance.

 

“The man who’s going to kill the Bat,” Scarecrow stated definitely.

 

“And I'm the bloody tooth fairy.”

 

“I thought you’d have your doubts.” The Knight moved from his position on the wall and made his way towards Cobblepot. “So I brought… a taste of my capabilities.”

 

He motioned for Archer to hand him the duffle bag. Like always, Archer was quick and efficient, the exchange taking only thirty seconds, at the most. The Knight threw the bag carelessly on the table. Cobblepot grunted and reached for the bag, which had landed on the other side of the table, but Dent beat him to it.

 

Unzipping the bag slowly, Dent seemed to enjoy how red Cobblepot’s face was getting. That soon changed, however, one he saw the duffel's contents. Looking extremely pale, he pushed the bag away. Interest piqued, the remaining villains fought over the bag.

 

Ivy ended up winning, restraining her competition with vines. After giving the contents a disinterested look, she called back her plants and passed the bag to Quinn.

 

Quinn was not nearly as unaffected. “Kenny!”

 

Cobblepot grabbed the duffle from her. “What the bloody Hell is this?”

 

“Oh, just the heads of your’s, Quinn's, and Dent’s second in command. Oh, and Prometheus’ head. You’ve heard of Prometheus**, right? A former member of Lex Luthor's Injustice Gang. The terrorist who killed three members of the Global Guardians. The mercenary with a skill set that rivals, no exceeds, Batman’s.”

 

The room when quiet. Reid could barely keep her jaw from falling open. She, like every other Gothamite, had heard about Prometheus, about how he was second only to Bane in the kicking Batman’s ass department. An impressive feat, considering he had all of Gotham’s underworld as competition. If the Knight hadn't already had her respect, he sure would now.

 

Suddenly Nygma, who had somehow managed to gain possession of the bag, broke the silence. “I personally could have severed the heads with a much greater degree of precision, but not everyone can possess my intellect and skill.”

 

Reid couldn't help rolling her eyes. Leave it to Nygma to find away to brag about how smart he was in any circumstance. The dedication was kinda impressive if you thought about it, but Reid had been shocked one too many times by his stupid green question trophies to think anything about Nygma that wasn't related to him being a narcissistic dick.

 

“Of course Eddie,” Scarecrow said. “Now, can we get back to what we were discussing before my associate joined us, unless, of course, you would rather keep on questioning his skills?”

 

No one voiced any complaints, Scarecrow taking the silence as his cue to continue. Reid tuned him out. She had heard the details of this plan a million times over.

 

After what felt like hours of Scarecrow blabbing, she noticed something interesting. The Knight was staring straight at Dent, with an intensity of the likes she had never seen before. It was no wonder that Dent didn't look too pleased at the attention.

 

Finally, he snapped, “What?”

 

“You killed my Dad.” The Knight’s reply was blunt, the modifier letting no emotion slip.

 

The room entered a tense silence, broken when Cobblepot burst out laughing.

 

“Bloody Hell Dent. You’ve done it now.”

 

Dent looked nervous. “Sorry.”

 

“Don't be. He deserved it.”

 

While everyone else in the room, except maybe Archer, seemed relieved at the Knight's words, she couldn't help but feel sad. It hurt to think that someone she respected so much-not only as a commander, but as a person too-could have had such a horrible father that he was glad he was dead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably irrelevant but just in case: *The events from the last chapter (Zero Tolerance).  
> **If you didn't read the game bios or just forgot, Prometheus is a lot like Batman: his parents getting killed in front of him, traveling all over the world to train, using advanced (alien) technology, etc. He also hates justice so much that he attacked the JLA because they had the word ‘Justice’ in their name. He also Batman’s ass at least once. On the flip side, after being beaten by Batman, he was almost killed by Huntress.  
> So, this oneshot is set during the big Supervillain meeting, right before the events of Arkham Knight, in October 2015. Normally, this would be the part where I talk a little bit about Jason, but instead, I'm trying something new. If you're interested, send me an ask on my Tumblr (supersonicsidekick) and I'll post a snippet-the Arkham Knight/Dent scene from Jason's POV-from Hurts Like Hell.


	6. What's In A Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was going to make a nice, happy, fun update, then I listened to the Arkham Knight's Audio Logs, and this happened. Dialogue from said Audio Logs is borrowed and used in the oneshot.

If Ciara Reid was being honest, she was a little disappointed that she hadn't got to accompany the Knight to Stagg’s Airships. Stagg Pharmaceuticals had bankrupt her family, charging absurdly high prices for the treatment her sister need to live. Needless to say, it would have been extremely satisfying to watch that rich bastard Simon Stagg get roughed up by the Knight. 

 

But her orders had been to stay back at HQ and help Steven Archer make preparations for when the Cloudburst goes off. So she did just that, checking and double checking that everything was in order. Now all that was left to do was wait for the Knight to return.

 

* * *

 

“So, what are your plans? You know, after this?” Cora Chu asked, eyes not once leaving the screen she was using to monitor the drones under her control.

 

Reid shrugged her shoulders. “I don't know. I haven't really thought about it.”

 

“I'm going to New York. Paige asked me to move in with her.” 

 

“Really? That’s great. I'm sure you’ll love it there.”

 

“I hope so. I still don't know how I feel about-” 

 

The door flew open, revealing Archer. The room went silent, a show of respect for his position. He walked to the center of the room without pausing for niceties, a sign that something big was about to go down.

 

“Scarecrow and the Knight are back. We have roughly twenty minutes before the Cloudburst is charged. By then, every drone needs to be equipped with a Nimbus Power Cell. If they aren't, the Cloudburst will fry them.” He paused for a second, letting his words sink in. “Chu, Pellegrino, prepare the Cobra Drones. Steele, Amer, switch out all the essential drones current cores with the Nimbus Cell. Everyone else, bring back all non-essential drones to base.”

 

The room was a flurry of noise and motion, everyone rushing to follow orders. Archer walked over to Reid and motioned for her to follow him.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“The Knight's office.”

 

* * *

 

Reid couldn't help but smile as she watched the video the Knight had called her into his office to show her. She wasn't a fan of violence, but if anyone deserved the Knight pushing them around and knock them into as many objects as humanly possible, it was Simon Stagg. 

 

Abruptly, Riley Lahey burst through the door. 

 

“Sir,” she panted. “I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Scarecrow, sir. He’s with Gordon.” 

 

And just like that, the Knight was gone, racing down the hall to where Barbara Gordon was being kept. Reid glanced at Archer, unsure what to do.

 

_ Screw it _ , she thought, taking off after the Knight. Archer and Lahey followed. 

 

Soon, she could hear voices. Gordon's and Scarecrow’s voices.

 

“Are you done talking?” 

 

“I am. But you have barely begun. You'll be incoherent when my toxin dissolves the wall between your conscious mind and your suppressed, subconscious nightmares. But as those fears slowly recede, they'll take this pathetic defiance with them.” 

 

“You’re still talking.” 

 

“Very well-” The Knight all but kicked the door in, effectively cutting off Crane.

 

“Get the Hell away from her!” The Knight's voice was so full of emotion that even the modifier couldn't hide it.

 

Crane opened his mouth like he was going to object, then closed it. He stood and held his hands up in mock surrender. “Very well.” 

 

He slowly made his way out of the room, pausing in the doorway, a smirk on that horrible face of his. “Till next time, miss Gordon.”

 

The Knight waited till Crane was long gone before he walked over to Barbara, seemingly assessing her for injuries. “He’s gone. Did he hurt you?”

 

“Spare me the good cop, bad cop routine.”

 

“No, no, no, no. See, you're supposed to keep me talking. Play for time. Wait for Batman. That’s what he taught you, right?”

 

“I’ve got nothing to say to you.” 

 

“Me, I talked for hours. ‘Cause I knew, right? Batman was on his way to save me. The bastard let me talk… eventually I just, ran out of things to say. So trust me. You can't count on Bruce to save you.” 

 

Reid had a sinking feeling in her chest. At this point, she was sure the Knight had forgotten that she, Archer, and Lahey were there. There was no way he’d been saying this if he hadn't. She needed to do something, anything to make her presence known, but she couldn't find her voice. 

 

“Bruce?”

 

“Mmm, yeah, Scarecrow doesn't know. It’s our little secret. Now here’s another. Batman likes to play the hero, Barbara, and he’s pretty good at it. But it’s an act. Batman’s not about saving the innocent. Oh no, he’s about punishing the guilty.” The Knight paused for a moment. “Now, don't get me wrong. He'll look for you. Or, he’ll try. But when it comes down to it, when he has to make a choice between you, and the mission?” The Knight huffed. “He'll choose the mission. Every time.” 

 

“You're wrong.”

 

The Knight removed his helmet. “Look me in the eye and say that.”

 

Reid had to bite her lip to keep from gasping. Growing up in Gotham, she had seen a lot of scars. But she had never seen one like  _ that _ . 

 

Gordon looked like she had seen a ghost. Her voice was full of disbelief. “Jason?” 

 

The Knight laughed, a harsh, bitter, broken laugh.

 

“Jason, this is wrong.”

 

The Knight’s voice was barely more than a whisper. “This is justice!” His voice rose, slightly. “He left me!” 

 

“He  _ lost _ you! And he mourned for you. Come home.”

 

“I can't go back.” The Knight’s voice was so full of pain, wavering like he was about to cry, that it made her heart ache. “You don't understand what Joker did, Barbara. He hollowed me out and filled me back up with hate and-” He cut himself off, like he couldn't bear to finish.

 

“Jason, we can fix it-”

 

“I can fix it,” the Knight yelled. He stopped, looking a little apologetic. He panted once, before continuing in a much softer tone. “I know now what to do. I take all this pain, all this blackness, and I put it all in a bullet, and I put it right between Bruce's eyes.” 

 

“Joker’s dead, Jason. You want revenge on the man that hurt you? You’ve got one shot. Come back to the manor. Let’s us help you. Don't let Joker win.”

 

It was quiet for a moment, then the Knight spoke, voice soft. “How's Alfred?”

 

“He misses you. We all do.”

 

The door creaked, causing the Knight to hastily slip his mask back on.

 

Crane entered the room. “The Cloudburst is charged, Knight. It’s time.”

 

The Knight secured his mask as he stood. He straight at Reid, as if just noticing that she was there. “Someone put a gag on her. Anyone hurts her, they're a dead man.” 

 

The Knight left, breathing heavier than it had been before coming here. 

 

Reid didn't know what to think. She couldn't comprehend what she had just witnessed, the moment she, Archer, and Lahey had just invaded. It was too raw, too personal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this takes place on October 31, 2015, right before the Cloudburst is activated.


	7. Goodnight Gotham

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of two Chapters I'm posting today, since it took me so long to update, because of personal issues. The second one is pretty short, though. One line of dialogue is borrowed from the game. Everything else is all me.

Ciara Reid ducked into an alleyway, panting. She still couldn't believe what had happened. The Cloudburst had been destroyed, the Knight had confronted Batman in their Headquarters, and now the Knight was _MIA_.

 

She had no idea what had gone down at the mall, but she had heard rumors. But they couldn't be true. If he could have killed the Bat, he would have. And yet, Cora Chu had told her that the Knight had sent everyone out of the room, that he had yelled at Batman so loud it echoed throughout the mall. Maybe Theodore Epps had been right when he said that the Knight and Batman knew each other. Then again, he also thought Batman was a vampire.

 

A gunshot rang out, reminding Reid why she was running. Deathstroke. With the Knight out of the picture-at least, that’s what she'd been told; she didn't believe that he was gone for a second; he would be back, he had to be-the infamous assassin Deathstroke had taken command of the Militia, and the Knight’s most trusted personnel had started disappearing. She had grown close to many of her fellow soldiers, especially Steven Archer, and hoped they were, but feared the worst. It was Deathstroke after all.

 

Hence why she was running. It may not have been officially, but she was considered to be the Knight’s left-hand woman. Her loyalties lie with the Knight only, which she was sure made her expendable in Deathstroke’s eyes.

 

When no one-eyed, orange and black clad assassins materialized in front of her, she let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. As quickly as she dared and as quietly as possible, she continued through Gotham, looking for a way out.

 

* * *

 

 

About an hour later, she heard a voice she had hoped to never hear again. It belonged to Brad Camden, the bane of her existence. A spoiled, rich, sexist, racist, homophobic dick, Camden was only tolerated because his father had proved a generous donation with the stipulation that his son was accepted into the Knight’s ranks. Within five minutes, everyone, Knight included, hated him.

 

“He was broken, crying. It was pathetic. And what’s up with that red mask?”

 

Fist clenched, Reid barely stopped herself from yelling that he was the pathetic one. She wished more than anything that she could just go over there and punch him, like she had wanted to go for so long, but she didn't want to alert Deathstroke, he was most likely listening in on the comms, to her presence.

 

Electricity crackled in the air. Camden shrieked, jumping to reveal a very smug looking Dominic Harper putting something-most likely the source of the electricity-back in his med kit.

 

“Ow- What the Hell Harper?”

 

“Sorry,” Reid had never heard a more sarcastic tone. “I thought I saw Batman. Protocol, you know.”

 

Camden glared at him, and Reid had to hold back a laugh. She didn't know Harper that well, but if they both survived this, she would make him her new best friend.

 

* * *

 

By the time Batman had been revealed to be Bruce Wayne, Reid had coincidentally decided that breaking into the Wayne Enterprise Skyscraper on Founders Island would be her best bet at finding transportation. She had heard a rumor that it houses a plane prototype. Now though, it was out of the question. No doubt Wayne would have that place heavily guarded; who knew what Batman related tech he kept there.

 

* * *

 

It wasn't until Deathstroke’s arrest that Reid could finally relax. He couldn't hurt her if he was behind bars.

 

She ditched her militia uniform, replacing it with clothes she stole from the closest store she could find.

 

As she walked down the street, prepared to put the whole militia ordeal behind her, she ran into someone. He was wearing a red helmet and had a crudely painted bat symbol instead of the Arkham logo, but there was no mistaking that it was the Knight.

 

He continued on like he didn't recognize her. Maybe he didn't, without the uniform despite wanting to follow him, she continued on as well.

 

* * *

 

Later, when Reid checked her pocket, she found a wad of money, totaling to the exact amount she was promised for her part in _Operation Savior_.


	8. #CityOfFear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said in the last note, this is the second chapter for today and extremely short. It also has a line of dialogue from the game, like the last chapter.

The Cloudburst went off, spreading a cloud of fear toxin over Gotham. Even from up on his rooftop post, Theodore Epps could here the criminals of Gotham being affected. The Knight was right-not surprised since the Knight was almost always right; Scarecrow’s the man you go to if you want to send a message. 

 

Epps tried to hold out, tried to be professional, but he couldn't help but check his phone. It was in his nature. As he read the news tab on his phone, his face lit up. 

 

He quickly got his group's attention and showed them his screen. “We did good, the attack’s trending! #CityOfFear! Everybody upload your pics!”

 

Everyone cheered and did as he suggested. Epps himself took a selfie, his post giving him a perfect view of the city. 

 

After a moment, a mechanical sigh came over the comms, followed by, “Stop messing around. Focus on the mission. Batman’s still out there, and won't hesitate to take advantage of you while you’ distracted.”

 

Epps put his phone up, sad at being reprimanded, but satisfied with the pictures he had taken. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have one week before school starts and I am going to be using it to replay the Arkham Series. Good News: It will probably give me tons of inspiration. Bad News: I won't be updating while I play it.


End file.
